- Timedance landed a top-ten spot in RA's favorite labels of 2016, despite only releasing a handful of records. Laksa's Contrasts EP continues the momentum with more of Timedance's trademark sounds, but it doesn't feel formulaic. The title track is exactly what you'd expect from Timedance: bass-heavy techno with a UK touch. The sci-fi textures are undoubtedly techno, but the rhythms set it apart the genre's more traditional fare. The swinging kick drums, clanging percussion and the open hi-hat have a UK flavour, but, in the context of dark, synthetic ambience, Laksa gives them new life. As the track unfurls, a wistful pad rises quietly in the background, lending it an unexpected emotional note.
Laksa shows restraint on the more ethereal "Buried." With its echo chamber effects and sparse, surgical drums, he leaves room for the bass to take center stage. The low-end is huge and rattling, though its soft attack and warm harmonics make it feel almost comforting, in spite of the ominous sound design. Dissonant synth notes and mechanical noises swirl in the remaining space, stirring up tension that never dissipates. "Lost Code" sits somewhere between the other two tracks. It has the introspective spatial dynamics of "Buried," but it also has a subtle groove that would move a dance floor if used at the right time. In just three tracks, Laksa carves out an impressive range of feeling within a focused aesthetic.
TracklistA1 Contrasts
B1 Lost Code
B2 Buried